Transfeminist Algorithms: a speculative exercise for a less fcked up future

There is substantial evidence that most of the algorithms that command our digital interactions are biased, particularly towards reproducing what Black feminist scholar Patricia Hill Collins calls the matrix of domination (capitalism, heteropatriarchy, white supremacy, and settler colonialism). In other words, AI is currently organized to help mantain the status quo of social inequality and the norms of a consumerist, misogynist, racist, ableist, gender binarial and heteropatriarchal society.

What would the future look like if we could hack this trend? Coding Rights, in partnership with the MIT Codesign Studio and Yaso Cordova, a HKS Fellow & Berkman Klein affiliate at Harvard would like to invite you for an informal rendez-vous of women, femmes, and/or feminists who work on AI, algorithms, and design to brainstorm about the question: “What would transfeminist algorithms look like?”

With no strings attached about what is feasible or not, we just want to have a good time and join our brains in an exercise of speculative feminist futures for alternative algorithms. Another Algorithm is Possible!

Our agenda is hackable, so if you work on AI or algorithmic design, bias, and transparency, you are welcome to give a quick 5-15 min talk summarizing your findings, or facilitate us in a short design exercise, game, or activity focused on the topic. Just ping us in advance so we can adjust the timings, or simply add your idea for how to use the time below. Also, feel free to join us at the time of your convenience, though the experiment would be nicer if we are all in the whole problem, there is no problem to arrive later or leave earlier.

Also, if you want to invite a friend, please, feel free to pass on this invitation, just remember that this space is meant to be only Women, Femmes, Q/T/nonbinary ppl.